Getting ready to go home

Boy, time really does fly when you're having fun! I am getting stuff ready to throw into the suitcase to head back home. Just this a.m. my friend, Debbie, took me to Festival for the fresh-from-the-cow cheese curds which go back with me. We first went to McDonald's for a drink and hash browns before she took me to Festival. One more thing crossed off the list of to-dos before I leave Manty. Didn't get to Late's but that happens...too little time and too many meals at home!

Last night I made chicken 'n dumplings for dinner but I didn't partake. Mom, Lynn, and Jill said it was good so I trust them. I wanted to have the queso dip I made for enjoying during the Packer game. And I did enjoy it! More than watching the game, initially. Wow, what a wonderful ending to a dreadful game. Wow!

Yesterday morning Mom treated Lynn and me to a pedicure  at Sassy Nails. The tech did a good job on cleaning off my goofy great toes, having to get extra machinery used for the acrylic nails to clean off the whiteness on them. It was only the 2nd time I'd had that build-up, the first time the salon in Fleming Island claimed it was it was because I had polish on too long. Well, they turned around and put polish right back on. The tech yesterday said nail polish had nothing to do with it, that it was a calcium build-up or something. I was just happy they took care of it for me. 

From Sassy Nails we went to Festival so I could get my ingredients for making the queso dip and the other two ladies got whatever they needed.  I struck out getting the type of Velveeta cheese-food Justin uses to make the dip so I bought some in jars. Saved me from having to soften the block cheese in the microwave or on the stove. I would guess it's more expensive this way, but I just was determined to make it, and that's that!  

Lynn and I watched the game, which began rather sadly for the Packers and their fans. Oh my, the Lions were having a good time at the Packer's expense. I just don't know what's up with the team this season, and few people do seem to know what the problem is. The receivers can't catch and the running backs were not able to get anywhere. It was frustrating to watch and I nearly went to bed. So glad I decided to stay up and watch the end, the fantastic ending. The Packers won the same way the Jaguars did a few weeks ago, after the official time of play had expired. I was figuratively on the floor in amazement. Aaron Rodgers lofted a Hail Mary pass that was caught, which almost made me think of converting!!!  Wow- again!!! I just love watching football with Lynn, and this visit got to watch three games with her.  One of my favorite parts of the visit for me. Especially for me!  Today I am having pie with Linda and a friend, Joanie, looking forward to that, too!

Sunday reporting

This evening is a quiet one spent at home with Mom. I made dinner for us using leftovers from our feast, a casserole.  No matter what, we can't be rid of our food!  After dinner I got busy with organizing the freezer for Mom.  I stacked the frozen meals up in two rows and fit the rest of the foods in where there was room.  Hopefully Mom can read the labels so she knows what is what! 

This morning Mom, Lynn, Jill, and I went to church and then Bible study. We celebrated a New Year in our service, the first Sunday of the church year, Advent. For the Bible study we watched a video, "My Son, My Savior", put out by our Synod as an outreach tool. It was okay, and hopefully will be a blessing for the recipients. 

After church Lynn came back to Mom's house before she and I drove to Sheboygan to meet Noah and the boys for lunch.  It was such a nice time, enjoyed my conversation with Noah. The boys were sweet, too.  Our seat was next to the wall fireplace which was perfect for me. I could not get perch but did find brats on the menu.  Served on a Sheboygan hard roll, too, and came with waffle fries.  Yum, yum, yum!!!

On our ride back we took the lake shore route past Whistling Straits where the major golf tournament was held this summer. As we were getting closer to home, we saw something in the road but before she could slow down, Lynn drove over pieces of firewood which had fallen from a truck.  Clunk, clunk, it went as it bounced around under the car. Hopefully no harm will befall her undercarriage.  The truck pulled off and I got his license plate number in case something does happen.  I pray it does not. 

I took a few photos from the car window of the scenery along the way back. Some are of birch trees and the lake. I will post them when I get on my regular equipment. My stuff has been vexing me here but things are looking up. I am thankful for the connections I do have and am glad to have them. Rejoice!!!

More giving of thanks!

On Thursday I had the opportunity to worship at First German on the national ThanksGiving Day. Lynn sang with the choir while Jill, Danny, Mom, and I sat with the congregation. The church band accompanied many of the hymns and it was wonderful to hear them again. They were blessed to have young people 'home' from college to bolster the numbers of the choir and band. Adding the brass and percussion to the pipe organ on these hymns is so beautiful, loved it!

  

The sanctuary was decorated as well, including this table of bounty.

We went back to Mom's after church because it was too early to go down for the ThanksGiving lunch in the school gym. Lynn's friend, Bonnie, was joining our family at the table. She feared being able to find us in the crowd but was hardly a problem. The high school Federation was involved in this community outreach event and were expecting about 175 diners. There were other congregation members dining but not many besides us. The meal was good, and I truly loved my cherry cheese cake dessert. Even got a piece to go home with me!

It was a quiet rest of the afternoon until it was time for the football game. Sadly, the outcome  was disappointing as the Packers lost yet another game. Something is terribly wrong with them! Or, is the problem with me---spoiled by them usually winning??  I really like getting to watch Packer football with my sister! It was a good day overall, for which I am thankful!

It's all about connections

Not long ago I wrote about what will happen after my mom is gone regarding my visits and family connections. I think back to Timmy's funeral and Justin's first real exposure to my sister, Carol. After everything was over and the family was gone again, Justin commented to me, "I really like Carol---we should get to know her better." This was his own aunt and he didn't really know her. I've reminded her of that on occasion, the most recent time being Mom's 90th birthday celebration. Sadly, he wasn't here for that, having gone back to FL already. In the past decade since Timmy's funeral I think I've seen Carol probably 4-5 times. Not for my lack of trying....

Lynn, Jill, and I went shopping Monday and had lunch together.  It was great fun, though exhausting. While shopping I ran into a 'girl' from my old neighborhood who is married to a classmate of mine. He was gone deer hunting with family and she was hunting in the stores!  Kathy's brother lived next door to my mom in the years prior to Mom buying the duplex. Jill asked how her brother and his wife were doing and Kathy answered that she was sure they were fine but hadn't talked to them in a while. How can this be?  They live in the same town and yet don't communicate. Interesting. She explained that her husband and she spend time with their own family....Is that how it goes?

Tuesday Linda and I were leaving Bible study and talking with Kathy, the leader. She comes from a family that has remained connected.  They are together regularly, if not in person, then by phone or online.  She even lived in Malawi for a time and remained in touch.  Her parents are the same age as Mom so the day will come when this large family won't have their parents any longer.  I hope they will stay connected when that time comes.

My sister-in-law's parents, Harvey and Clara, who both  are now passed away, would get together weekly with their siblings who lived in the area to play cards and just hang out. Nieces and nephews came to see them in their apartment and later at the Home. Perhaps not every week but at least folks knew they had relatives, and the family knew what was going on in each other's lives. 

While I am here visiting my family I am also thinking about my friends and church family back in FL. And, of course, my boy. Last night I did FaceTime with him and he got to see his Grandma and his aunties, and they could see him. Mom loves that! He was able to show me the new slacks and shoes he got, plus the wax warmer for his room. His room smells now of pumpkin pie! He was getting ready for church, and on his way there he called me one more time to report about the giant full moon on the river. We could not yet see it here, as there is no view from Mom's apartment to the east. Tonight I will have to go out and look for it. During the football game? NO! Go Pack, go!

It's "Linda Day" !!!

Linda just dropped me off at Mom's after our day together. First order of business was to pop in at Rose Colored Glasses to see the newly remodeled salon. Oh, it looks so nice and open in there now. Nicole was busy doing hair so we couldn't chit chat too much with her but we got to roam around and look it all over. The neatest feature of the remodel/renovation was their stripping the floors down to the original wood. Beautiful!

Next Linda and I went across the street to Harborside to have lunch but found the lights off and door locked. Nuts!  We determined they were not open for lunch today, much to our chagrin. Plan B was lunch at The Courthouse Pub, just a block from church. We had a wonderful lunch and split a dessert. I had all French food, including a dip, onion soup, and side of fries! 

From the Pub we went to church for Bible study. What a wonderful class this was. We finished a review of Joel and moved into Amos. Kathy, our leader, is using her husband's notes on the book which is most helpful in understanding the prophesy of these men for Israel. I look forward to returning next week and continuing this study. 

Linda had to get some gas so I went into the convenience store and got a couple bottles of Diet Coke because Linda wasn't sure she had any for me at home. There I ran into the husband of one of my classmates, the same man whom I met on Sunday at Perkins. How fun this is!  Love running into folks I know. 

At Linda's home she allowed me to use her laptop so I could work on my church newsletter. I was able to do some but am still awaiting content before going to press. I am thankful for her allowing me to use her equipment.  I just couldn't figure out how to make the iPad do what I wanted it to do. Linda gave me an early Chirstmas present of a pillow perfect for my bed, with a Philippians 4 passage on it (I love it!) and a book "The Prodigal God", a recommended read by Pastor Schaefer. Can't wait to get into it. 

For our dinner, Tommy made his famous cheeseburgers which were as wonderful as I'd heard. I will taste the onion all night long, I'm sure. We had to rush off from the dinner table so Linda could drop me off before heading back to church for Evening Circle.

Next week Tuesday will again be "Linda Day"! and I can't wait! 

I am here!

Michael picked me up before 7:00 am this morning for the airport ride, with Justin getting up long enough to wheel my luggage down and say good-bye to his mama. He'd had a long night with very short sleep after the wedding plus his buddy was coming home with him which is why he wasn't driving to the airport. God bless Michael and his kindness! 

I had a long wait at the curbside check-in and a guy told me it was just as long inside. Everyone leaving at once, I guess.  The line for the security was long, too, over 30 minutes. I had plenty of time but was nervous for the couple in line with me who were afraid of missing their flight due to the long lines. I hope they made it. 

Once again I set off the alarm by forgetting to remove my phone. I did all the rest of the stuff right, but forgot the phone. That is the 3rd time I've done it and pretty soon you would think I'd remember. About an hour after being dropped off at the curb, I was seated in the waiting area. I do well at the Jax airport, far better than at the MKE one. MKE has such a long hike from the plane to the baggage claim area. Yikes!  The shuttle people assured me they would wait for me so I did not have to rush. 

I had nice folks in the van with a very nice driver. One couple was just returning from a Caribean cruise, coming back to a snow storm!  The other man chose to ride in the back seat  so he could stretch his leg out, due to a recent knee replacement. I rode shot gun! The roads were clear and after we left Sheboygan, droppng off the couple, there was no more snow. I guess all the excitement was for naught, though the southern part of the State got over a foot of snow.  I as so happy to get here to Mom's. Lynn had delicious sugar cookies ready for me, which I needed because I was quite hungry. So good!

Later Lynn, Jill, and I had dinner at The Green Street Tavern. We all three had the perch with beer cheese soup. Oh, my, was that ever good. Thankfully the place wasn't terribly busy so we could sit and enjoy our meals. Mom didn't want to join us nor did she want any food brought home for her. She would have loved the cheese soup. I sure did. Looking forward to going to bed and get much needed physical rest. So much sitting and but the walking in the airport puts me away!

My travel was mostly uneventful, the worst part was a slight delay leaving out of ATL because Milwaukee could not keep up de-icing planes. That meant there was no place for us to park once we landed in MKE.  At first the delay was an hour but was shortened to about 35 minutes which was okay for me.  I don't know if anyone else was going to be connecting from MKE but it didn't seem like folks were getting frantic or anything. I did let the shuttle service know of my delay and they said they were monitoring the flights. Four total on my flight were using the same shuttle so I was going to have company. Good! Thanking the Lord for a safe flight and no snow and getting home to Mom's and for perch with my sisters! 

Words mean something...

...or they mean nothing. Sometimes they mean nothing and that's it. An example of such which comes to mind is my grandma, Lily. My mom was a gifted sewer, able to make dresses for her mother which were suited to my grandma's needs. The fabric was polyester, needed no pressing, was heavy enough to keep Lily warm. Mom made the dresses so they closed in the front for ease of getting on and off. The buttons were covered with the same fabric as the dress which was a very classy look, with a self belt. Nothing plain about these dresses but also nothing over-the-top either. (Ha ha, little joke there about how the dress went on and off...)

At the old folks home where Lily lived (and I worked) there were nurses or aids, one per floor in those days, and the one on 4th floor was Lorraine. Every time Lily got a new dress, she'd get compliments on it. Lorraine would say, "Oh, Lily, you look spiffy today..." and that would be the end of it. After many years, one day my grandma asked me, "Now, what does that mean--spiffy?" What!? She almost took it as though it was NOT a compliment. How did this happen? At what point did this favorable remark become tainted? What prevents people from accepting a compliment?  Of course, I explained that spiffy today is the same that it was for the previous how ever many years---that she looked nice in her dress. Nothing more and nothing less. Just take it, and run!

The reason I was thinking of this was because I had a conversation with my mom the other day about my pending visit. Our plans for ThanksLiving Day were being discussed and I mentioned getting some stuff to munch on for watching football. She questioned that idea (really, Mom??), thinking that 'we' won't be hungry after our big lunch. Some of us are dining at church for lunch that day, and I am sure it will be a veritable feast. However, when watching football, it is customary to enjoy munchies. This is so nothing new. I took Mom's bait and said, "I don't have to be hungry to eat..." and she sounded almost stunned to hear this. Now, I know that I have heard her make that same remark to me at some point in her life, but now it's foolishness. Maybe I will look spiffy doing it!

Today I had a very nice lunch with my friend, Terri T., at the former Spaghetti House, which is near her work. Justin and I used to have dinner there with Twila and her grandson, Mark, when the boys were in confirmation class together. We'd meet after school but before class and have sumptuous plates of Italian food. The same was true today at Joey Mozzarella, its new name. My calzone was as big as my head, as my friend, Julia, would say. I ate about half of half of it!

Over lunch I shared some stuff with Terri that I'd been writing about or pondering including how sometimes we need to tippy-toe around people, weighing and measuring even the most innocuous remarks. You just never know what will set someone off or cause wounded feelings. You think you know how far you can go, and then miss the mark. Or, what you said last week and was fine is not so fine this week. What changes? Is it tone? Lack of face-to-face exchanges, using electronics too much and missing needed inflection? Or, are emotions simply running high with the onset of the holiday season? Hmmmm.....

Today in Bible study we talked about how pastors and elders are to conduct themselves in this world and their congregations. We also discussed how the members can aid and encourage their pastor to be an effective shepherd to his flock. Our course of study is I Timothy at present and in this book, St. Paul is offering guidance and encouragement to his young fellow pastor, Timothy. Timeless advice offered in these chapters, for pastors, elders, and our own daily living, devoting ourselves to living Godly and God-pleasing lives!